Not many communities these days can claim to have a local all-around family-owned pet store, yet Lakewood has an excellent one. I am particularly impressed with their fish dept. for the wide selection and extensive offering of tank decorations. They have the full gambit of Freshwater fish, tanks, plants, and supplies as well as Saltwater fish, tanks, salt, and supplies. The store caters to all pets with dog and cat supplies, small mammals, reptile, and bird supplies. They actually have the nicest selection of birds I have seen in a pet store which was not specifically for birds. Pet World is located just off Wadsworth at 7585 W 10th Ave, Lakewood, CO 80214. Their hours are Monday – Friday 9-7:30, Saturday 9-6 and Sunday 11-5.
The store is listed here for at least two reasons, their fish dept. takes up over half the store, and as a family-owned store with no branches they fall squarely in the LFS category. As per usual I took extensive photos around the store so you can get a feel for what they have to offer. I recommend checking out their website for details on their broad offerings. Isolating one thing I really like about this store is difficult. They have a nifty plant display with common plants that do well in most aquariums, but what surprised me the most is the nice saltwater fish they had. All the prices I saw are very competitive and they have a buyer's club which saves loyal customers even more.
The aspects of the store which are less than exciting fall simply into the “this store has been here a long time” category. It looked like they were shorthanded, as the only person I saw was the store owner, Gary Roberts. The store is 27 years old, and it shows. Many tanks have neon colored gravel and plastic plants. I suppose with the turnover of stock it doesn’t make sense to keep planted tanks, and with the low margins of pet stores, replacing it doesn’t make sense. Most of the tanks were clean and well kept, although the stock seemed low. They must have been very busy over the weekend. As I often suggest, if you can’t find it ask and if they don’t have it, ask if they can get if for you.
So, to sum up this shopping experience, I have to say I am both pleased and surprised to find such a nice selection of stock and supplies. If you have other pets, then you can probably find what they need also. I would not hesitate to buy fish or aquarium supplies here, though I am partial to Fish Den. I like this store and like to drop by when in the neighborhood just to see their fish and other animals. Plus, I get a welcome feeling here, which speaks volumes!
Sequoia Elisabeth
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